Shadow Fall (Tracers Series Book 9) (26 page)

“Guess you’re headed back to your office?”

“Actually,” she said, “I need a conference room.”

He looked surprised. “What for?”

“Work.”

Ingram passed her off to a deputy who, after much hemming and hawing about space constraints, finally found her a windowless space that seemed to be a temporary holding pen for obsolete computers. Tara loaded everything onto a pushcart to be relocated and then went about the task of setting up her war room.

She taped a timeline to the wall. Then a list of suspects with notations about where the team was in the process of interviewing each one. She combed through the files and compiled a list of the physical evidence down to the last beer can. It was a long list, and she felt cautiously hopeful as she stepped back to look at it. Any one of the items might be the key that unlocked the entire case. Finally, Tara hijacked a deputy’s computer and printed out satellite maps of each crime scene, including the truck stop up on U.S. 59. She’d always been a visual person, and it helped her to see everything laid out in front of her like a giant jigsaw puzzle.

When she had everything listed, mapped, pinned, and displayed, she stepped back to study it.

“Shit, what’s that?”

She turned to see Jason standing in the doorway.

“A case board,” she said. “You ever use one before?”

“No.” He stepped into the room and approached the board, immediately zeroing in on the satellite map of the truck stop.

He tapped the picture. “I just came from there.”

“How’d it go?”

“Dead end.”

“They don’t have security cameras?”

“Nah, they have some. That’s not the problem. Problem is, they’re run by some outside company and the manager there wouldn’t turn the tapes over.”

“So get a warrant.” Tara’s phone chimed and she pulled it out. “Rushing.”

“It’s Kelsey. We have the report back on that shard of glass.”

Tara caught the excitement in her voice. “Did you get DNA?”

“Yes, but only the victim’s,” Kelsey said. “We got something else, though. Our experts analyzed it and turns out it’s optical glass.”

Tara thought for a moment. “You mean like glasses?”

“Not eyeglasses, but it’s some kind of lens.”

Tara looked at the satellite image of the woods where Catalina’s body had been discovered with a shard of glass embedded in her hamstring.

“What kind, exactly?”

“That’s the interesting part,” Kelsey said. “Evidently, it’s from a scope such as you would use with a rifle. It’s a specialized type of glass and we were able to trace it to a particular manufacturer.”

“Okay.”

“It’s a very small shop and they make all sorts of gear for the law-enforcement agencies, the Defense Department, private companies.”

Tara waited, holding her breath. She knew what was coming.

“One of their clients is Liam Wolfe.”

L
iam loaded the last of the weapons and secured the gun locker at the range. He called Jeremy as he started up his truck.

“I’m on my way in,” he said. “How’d it go with the ammo?”

“Everything’s here except the long-range tactical rounds,” Jeremy reported. “Should be in Thursday.”

Liam swung onto the dirt road leading back to the gym, avoiding the ruts to keep from banging up his cargo. Between now and next weekend, every firearm he owned had to be stripped and cleaned for a training session.

“They know we’re on a timeline,” Jeremy said, predicting Liam’s next question. “I told them if there were any more delays we’d cancel.”

“Okay, good. Anything else?”

“Tara Rushing.”

“What about her?”

“She’s here,” Jeremy said. “Tailgated me in.”

Liam felt a buzz of excitement. “What’s she want?”

“I don’t know, but she looks pissed. I told her to wait at your house.”

Liam reached the training center, and the floodlights flashed on as he pulled up to the door.

“Want me to get rid of her?” Jeremy asked.

“I’ll handle it.”

“That case, I’m heading out.”

“See you at 0800.”

Liam climbed out and went around to the tailgate. He unloaded the guns and crossed the darkened gym to the armory. On his way back out, he switched on some lights in the weight room. He stepped outside and nearly bumped into Tara.

“Where have you been?” she demanded.

He looked her over and decided
pissed
was an understatement. Her cheeks were flushed despite the cold. Dressed in jeans and assault boots, she looked ready to kick down a door.

“Working.” He stepped around her.

“I’ve been trying to reach you all night.”

“Well, you’ve reached me now. What do you need?” He unloaded another two guns, and she followed him into the gym.

“I need you to cut the crap. No more stalling. I want a list of your employees, past and present, along with a list of every man who’s ever been through one of your training camps.”

He stowed the rifles in a cabinet and glanced up at her. She was standing in the doorway gaping at all the weapons.

“That all?” he asked.

“No. I also want those psych evaluations.”

He squeezed into the doorway, forcing her back against the jamb. “And I assume you have a warrant signed by a judge?”

“No, but I can get one.”

“How?”

“A shard of glass recovered from one of the victims’ bodies has been traced back to your rifle scopes.”

“Mine?”

“A scope like the ones you own, yes.”

He stared down at her for a long moment, trying to read her expression. He could tell she was dead serious. “I own a lot of stuff.” He squeezed past her and crossed the gym again. “What makes you think some judge is going to sign off?”

“Because this piece of evidence traces back to a certain manufacturer that only does business with a handful of companies, and one of those companies is yours.”

“So?”

“
So?
” She stalked after him. “Don’t you get it? How many more ways does this UNSUB need to link back to you before you admit that it’s someone you know?”

He picked up two more rifles and tucked a third under his arm. “Grab that last one, would you?” He walked back to the gun room and stowed the weapons, then took hers off her hands because she seemed distracted by something in the other room.

“What the hell is that?” she asked.

“Boxing ring.”

“Why do you have a boxing ring?”

“Because we do boxing, defensive tactics. Sometimes Ultimate Fighting when the men are bored.”

At the mention of his men, her gaze snapped back to his. “Why do you keep doing this?”

He walked over and leaned a palm on the doorframe. “What, exactly?”

“Stonewalling. Doing everything possible to impede this investigation. I could have you arrested for obstruction.”

“You could try.”

“Liam . . .” She squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her forehead.

“Hey. Look at me.” He pulled her hand down. “What’s got you so wound up?”

“
You
.” She snatched her hand away. “Do you realize how much trouble you’re causing me?”

He’d been enjoying her little temper tantrum, but now he was starting to get annoyed. “By insisting you do your job?”

“By refusing to cooperate!”

He looked her over and noticed the deep furrow between her brows. She was really stressed about this.

She darted a glance at the sparring ring again, and something came into her eyes. It looked a whole lot like lust, and Liam’s pulse picked up.

“Come here,” he said, taking her hand.

“What?” She jerked free of him but followed him across the gym.

“You look like you want to smack somebody. Why don’t we climb in, go a few rounds?”

“Liam, I’m being serious.”

“So am I. Sounds like you’ve had a shit day, and I have, too, so let’s blow off some steam.”

She shook her head and muttered something, and he stepped closer until he was definitely invading her personal space. She glared up at him.

“Come on,” he said. “Sometimes you just need to pound it out.”

Her eyes sparked, and he could tell she liked the idea even if she wouldn’t admit it. She glanced at the ring again. He could see it in her face. She wanted a fight. It was something primal, something she needed. He didn’t know why. But he understood it completely.

“I’ll make it interesting,” he told her. “How ’bout we fight for it?”

“Fight for it,” she repeated.

“You want something from me. I want something from you. Winner gets what they want.”

SHE GAZED UP
at him, heart pounding now. She knew what he wanted. She’d known since the very first day. And she’d steadfastly resisted him, at first because he was a suspect and later because he was so involved in the case. He was even more involved now.

“I’m making you an offer.” He eased closer. “Take it or leave it.”

“You’re crazy.”

He smiled and crouched down, and her heart lurched as he started untying his boots. “You know you want to.”

She sneered. “I’m not fighting you.”

But he didn’t seem to be listening, and she watched, speechless, as he got rid of his boots and socks and tossed them beside a weight bench. And then he was standing there barefoot, in only his black cargo pants and an olive-drab T-shirt that molded to his pecs.

Tara’s pulse thrummed. She darted another look at the ring and felt the sharp pull of temptation.

“Man up, Rushing.” He stepped closer, and she forced herself to keep her feet planted right where they were. “Or are you afraid you’ll embarrass yourself?”

Her gaze narrowed. “You’re really cocky, you know that?”

“Not cocky, confident.”

“I’ve taken down bigger men than you.”

“See? You’re competitive. You want to try, even with the odds stacked against you.”

She looked up at him. Her pulse was racing now, and her fingers itched because he was right about one thing: she did want to smack him.

He eased closer. “Take me on,” he murmured. “I know you want to.”

She gazed up at him. Warnings were going off in her head, and she was about to ignore all of them.

“Not for the case.” She peeled off her jacket, and his eyes heated as she reached for her holster. “This is off the clock.”

He watched her drop her holster onto the weight bench, and she felt the tension in the room kick up a notch. She’d done it. She’d taken the bait. Before she could give herself a chance to back out, she pulled off her boots and ducked into the ring.

The floor was springy. She bounced on the balls of her feet, testing it, as adrenaline surged through her system. She loved sparring. But as Liam climbed into the ring, she felt a hot flood of apprehension, because he wasn’t like any sparring partner she’d ever had. He was dark and intense, and she was about to have all that intensity focused solely on her. His sheer size caused a flurry of nerves in her stomach. He outweighed her by probably eighty pounds, so she’d have to rely on speed and strategy.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said, and he had a wary look in his eyes now, as if he couldn’t believe she’d agreed to this.

“No holds barred,” she said crisply. “First one pinned loses. Got it?”

“I—”

She lunged in low with a side kick designed to take out his feet. He jumped sideways and quickly responded with a side sweep of his own. Tara leaped back, evading him, and smiled as he recovered his balance. “Size isn’t everything,” she said.

He paused for a moment, and she used the time to plan her next strike. He was left-handed, so she faked a left-side kick, then jumped back and spun around to the right, sweeping his legs out from under him and dumping him on his ass. He sprang to his feet, but the damage was done.

Her victory was short-lived, though, as he stepped back a few paces and gave her a hard look.

“Not bad.” He prowled back and forth, eyeing her like a predator sizing up his next meal. Then he approached her straight on, probably hoping to intimidate her with his bulk.

She ducked under his arm with an elbow jab and realized he’d predicted the move when he did a quick spin that took her legs out from under her. She pitched forward, then rolled sideways as she caught him coming at her in her peripheral vision. She leaped to her feet and danced backward across the ring.

“You’re quick.” He nodded approvingly, and she felt a stab of irritation.

“You’re condescending.”

The corner of his mouth curled up. “Honey, you’re about to get your ass handed—”

Her lightning-fast kick caught him in the chest, but he grabbed her ankle and jerked her off balance. She landed on her butt and rolled left, but he was on her in a heartbeat, caging her in beneath his big chest, with his palms planted on either side of her head.

She stared up at him, chest heaving. She dug her heels into the mat and tried to lever him off, but it was like pushing a tree.

“Nice try.” He grinned down at her, and she had the satisfaction of seeing the sheen of sweat on his brow.

She made herself go limp for a moment, huffing out a sigh. When his shoulders relaxed, she slid down and rolled out from under him. As she jumped up, she knew he’d let her go. Getting free had been far too easy.